Tobacco hogsheads and securing means for the heads thereof



NOV. 23, H; G. BELL ETAL TOBACCO HOGSHEADS AND SECURING MEANS FOR THE HEADS THEREOF l f f 4/9 F3 6 7 Filed Jan. 17, 1946 Patented Nov. 23, 1948 TOBACCO HOGSHEADS ANDQSECURING MEANS FOR THE HEADS THEREOF Harry Guthrie Bell, Paris, and Jacob Douglas Gay, Jr., Lexington, Ky.

Application January 17, 1946, Serial No. 641,761

11 Claims. (o1. 217 89) Our present invention has for its primary object to provide a knockdown form of hogshead particularly designed for the shipping and storage of tobacco fabricated with the barrel part, or

body, in detachable sections for convenience in shipping and storing when empty and especially provided with means for interlocking the heads with the body against interior pressure when tobacco is compressed therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide fixtures on the inner ends of the staves and the circumference of the heads especially adapted to i facilitate the insertion of the heads in the circular barrel body and securing them thereto.

Still another object of the invention is the proshoulders on the barrel staves so arranged that while the latches and shoulders retain a head againstoutward movement the circumference of the head also cooperates with the retaining shoulders to maintainthe circularity of the barrel and aid in preventing injury to the ends ofthe staves when theloaded barrel is being up-ended or is being rolled from place to place.

To'these and other ends our invention embodies further improvements and arrangements of parts alias will be fully described in theaccompanying. specification, the novel features thereof being set forth in the appended claims. I

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial view of one end of two sections of a tobacco hogshead towhich our invention is applied. l V

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2x-2.r of Fig. 1 showing one of the abutments applied to the ends of staves.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a barrel head illustrating the hinge latch members thereon.

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of one of the latch members embodying our invention.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the latch member shownin conjunction with fragments of the barrel and ahead and illustrating it in its locking position.

Figure 6 is a similar view showing the movable element of the latch in the partly sprung position it occupies as a head enters a barrel.

Figure 7 is a similar sectional view showing the position of the head just before it becomes locked in the barrel illustrating the manner in which the latches serve to center a head which may have got off centeror been canted when the tobacco is compresesd.

Similarreference numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

Our invention is particularly applicable to knockdown tobaccobarrels in which the staves are united in such a manner that they comprise equal half sections capable of being disconnected for the purpose of shipping asempties, or storing in a flat condition for future use. Such a construction is shown anddescribed in application Serial No. 618,939 filed September 27, 1945., by Harry G. Bell. Figure 1 shows the uniting edges of two ofsuch sections each comprising the staves l bound together at their ends by hoop sections 2 and 3 and which, when they are joined together and rounded up, are unitedby a hasp 4 on one of them which hooksover a projection 5 on the other section. The staves may be reinforced by a U-shaped binding 6 and extending over the latter is a similar shaped latch member, said parts being secured permanentlyto the staves by rivets 1. The latch members are formed with inwardly extending projections 8 formed in any suitable manner to provide practically continuous rings extending inwardly from each end of the rounded barrel ator near the opposite ends of the staves. In practice we have used with satisfactory results latch members so formed as to provide integral projections on the stave bindings by bending the metal upon itself as shown in Fig. 2; forming, as it were, a nose having an inclined upper surface which facilitates the insertion of a head into the barrel. This construction also provides very rigid projections which are not liable to give way or become bent either from internal pressure or carelessness in handling heavily loaded hogsheads.

The barrel closures or heads 9 are made of plywoodcut circular of a diameter to fit closely within the rims in thebarreln Their peripheries are reinforced by metal rings I" carried on inwardly extending flanges ll overlying the edges of the inner face of the head.

A series of pivoted latches are spaced equidistantly on the outer faces of the heads which function when a head is insertedin a barrel to interlock with the fixed abutments 8 thereon. These pivoted latches each comprise two hinge members generally indicated by I5 and is, connected by a pintle l'l carrying a spring I8 which yieldingly maintains them in operative aliznement. The part I5 is secured by rivets Is to the barrel head and is formed with a central elongated opening I511 at the ends of which the plate is offset to provide loops for receiving the pintle H. The forward edge 20 of plate l5 extends beneath the hinge member It to limit its movement in one direction under the influence of spring l8. The part l6 of the hinge has eyes 22 embracing the pintle Within the aperture [5a. and

a leaf portion 23 which extends outwardly towards the underlying edge or periphery of the barrel head where it extends downwardly, as indicated at 24, for a distance sufficient to allow the edge of the head to be positioned in line with the projection or abutment 8 on the barrel body. This arrangement also causes the offset 24 to form a shoulder for cooperative engagement on its exterior with said projection 8 as shown in Figs. 5 and '7 and an inner shoulder for engagement with the curved edge of the part 20 of plate i5. Another feature of construction, incorporated in this barrel head latch is the head formedon the outerend of the leaf 23, as indicated by 25, which has adepending skirt 26 which is rounded, according to the curvature of the innerside of the barrel, and engages with the inner walls of the stave reinforcements. The ends 29 of the skirt are carried rearwardly into alinement with the offset 24 and serve both as reinforcements and act to resist lateral thrusts. They are tapered slightly to give increased bearing surfaces against the reinforcing ring Won the barrel head. From this arrangement of the parts it will be seen that when a head is in place great stability is given to the ends of the staves and. tothe barrel as a whole.

The construction of a tobacco hogshead, due to the comparatively light construction of the staves and the fact that they are separated slightly to affordventilation to the contents of the barrel have a tendency to distort .slightly or weave when rolled or otherwise handled. This distorting action has. been found to often cause weaknesses to develop in the head fastenings commonly in use. This weakness We have entirely overcome by the above described structure. Not only do the head latches hold theheads securely in .place but the offsets 24 therein permit the edgesof the heads, when weaving occurs, to engage with the inwardly extending noses 8 on the individual staves which may happen to be between thelatches.

Another important feature of ourhead latches is. apparent in connection with thexoperation of filling a hogshead with tobacco. The load is compressed under pressure and the final charge is. rammedin with a barrel head on top of it. Although this is done ona hydraulic press having a'ram working through an extension on .the barrelserving as a funnel it often happens that the head is not accurately centered or becomes canted slightly so that it enters the barrel somewhat off center and may even be. tilted somewhatv at an angle. Under such circumstances the springlatch members enable the head to enter the barrel and the latter may even spring or distort to enable the head to'enter it. When sucha condition has occurred the latch members automatically center the head as it rises to its normal position when the pressure is relieved. The action by which this movement is accomplished isthat of a lever, one or another, or several, of the yieldable latches serving to pry the head laterally and automatically center it. By makingthese latches so that when they assume their normal position they engage both the inner surfaces of the staves and the rim of the head they serve to maintain the barrel circular at all times.

What we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1, The combination with a barrel body having interior annular projections and a head of a diameter less than that fixed by the projections, of a plurality of latch members normally extending in parallelism with the plane of the outer face of the head-yieldable outwardly of the head and projecting beyond the periphery of the head, the peripheryof the combined members being substantially equivalent to that of the interior of the barrel and bearing extremities on said latch members engaging in their normal positions between the inner surface of the barrel and the contiguous edge of the barrel head.

2. The combination with a barrel body having lhterlorannular projections and a head of a diameter less than that fixed by the projections, of'a plurality of latch members pivoted on the outer face'oi the head. and-having bearing extremities overhanging and extending in line with the periphery of the head and engaging bothsaid head periphery and the innerwall of the barrel.

3. The combination with a barrel body having an interior annular rim, and a head passable within it, of a plurality of .latch members pivoted on the exterior face of the head comprising leaf portions extending beyond the periphery of the head and depressed below the plane of the head to form shoulders engageable with the inner edge ofzsaidrim, and bearing extremities on the leaves engageable with theinner Wall of the barrel to center the head therein and with the inner side of the rimto securethe head within the barrel.

4. A latch member for barrel heads comprising inner and outer hinge plates, the former adapted for attachment to the face of a barrel head, the other having a leaf portion oifset extending below and parallelto the plane of the first mentioned plate, and a bearing flange on the outer edge of said extending portion.

5. .A latchmember for barrel heads comprising innerand outer hinge plates, the former adapted for. attachmentrto the face of a barrel head, the otherhaving a leaf portion: offset extending below and parallel to the planeof the first mentioned plate, and a bearing flange projecting'downwardly on the outer edgeof the said extension and leading around the lateral edges thereof to a point in alinement with the offset.

. 6. Alatch. for-barrel heads comprising a hinge plate. for. attachment to a barrel head, a transversely extending pintle thereon dividing the plate into forward and rear portio'ns, a second member j'ournaled on the pintle and limited in its movement in. one: direction by engagement with the forward portion of said plate, said second member'being offset at a point beyond said for- Wardportion and having ahead portion for engagement with the inner side of a-barrel extending forwardly from'the olfset in a direction parallel to said. plate.

7. Alatch forbarrel'heads comprising a hinge plate for attachment to a barrel head, a transversely extending pintle thereon dividing the plate into forward and rear portions, asecond member journaled on'the pintle above the plate and having an offset at a point beyond the edge of said plate and provided with a head portion'beyond the offset. for engagement with'theinner side of a barrel extending .in a: direction -parallel. to the plate and a spring operating on the plate and member serving to normally close them one against the other.

8. A latch for barrel heads comprising a hinge plate having a central opening, transversely extending offsets formed in the plate at the ends of the opening, a pintle carried in said offsets, a second member having eyes embracing said pintle within said openings and extending across one side of the plate and provided with an offset overhanging the edge of said plate and provided with a head portion projecting beyond its offset in parallelism with the plate, the outer side of said head being arcuate for engagement with the inner side of a barrel.

9. A hinge latch for barrel heads comprising an attaching member provided with an elongated central aperture, and pintle receiving offsets at the ends of the aperture, a pintle carried therein, a latch member having an inner part overlying one side of the plate provided with an eye embracing the central portion of the pintle, and a head offset on the latch member offset from its inner part in a plane below that of the attaching member, the outer edge of the plate being curved to fit against the inner side of a barrel, and the aforementioned offset of the second member and the contiguous edge of the attaching member being similarly curved.

10. In a securing means for barrel heads, the combination with a barrel body having an interior inwardly extending annular projection, a

head passable into the barrel within said projection, a plurality of latch members normally extending in a plane parallel to the outer face of the head and projecting beyond its periphery, the circumference defined by the extremities of the latch members approximately equalling the inner circumference of the barrel below the projection thereon, said latch members being yieldingly movable in an upward direction to clear the projection when the head is inserted in the barrel be yond the projection.

11. The combination with a barrel body having a head, of a latch member for securing the latter comprising two hingedly connected members one being a face plate for attachment to the face of said head, the other a leaf extending beyond the periphery of the head having a depending skirt on its outer edge arcuate in shape in conformity with the curved inner wall of the barrel body.

HARRY GUTHRIE BELL. JACOB DOUGLAS GAY, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 66,881 Parks July 16, 1867 1,448,779 Vowell et a] Mar. 20, 1923 2,344,995 McConnell Mar. 28, 1944 

